1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of protective cases or covers that are separately made to protect or cover hand held computers. More specifically, the present invention relates to a case or cover, joined with straps to form a case-straps unit which is intended to receive a hand held electronic device. Such case-straps unit helps secure said hand held computers to users' hand, wrist or neck, ensuring their technology stays tethered, and not splayed on the floor and left behind.
2. Description of the Related Arts
The closest reference corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 6,471,056 issued to Kuo-Chen Tzeng on Oct. 29, 2002, U.S. Pat. No. 7,469,809 B2 by Luis Ernesto Elizalde Rodarte; U.S. Pat. No. 2013/0072266 A1; U.S. Pat. No. 7,650,007 B2; U.S. Pat. No. 2002/0090099 A1; U.S. Pat. No. 20110019861.
Referring to U.S. Pat. No. 7,469,809 B2 by Luis Ernesto Elizalde Rodarte. Mr. Ekizalde invented a PDA with a built-in hand strap designed to help users overcome hand fatigue and so forth. The main problem with this invention is the fact that he had to add an expensive feature in order to accommodate both right and left handed users. Unable to find a unique way to balance user's hand while holding the device, the inventor came up with a sliding mechanism located in the back of the PDA so users may setup the strap whether to the left or to the right, according to their needs.
His invention however differs from the present invention in many ways.
One main difference between the two inventions is the fact that the present invention is being built separately, around a case, from the hand held device it is intended to receive, while the named prior art is being built during a manufacturing process with the device it is intended to protect.
Another significant difference between the two inventions is the fact that the present invention accomplished the same result claimed by the named prior art, but in a less expensive way. Because of the hand strap's duo legs and its location in the middle of the case, the current invention offers both left and right hand users a better way to manage the enclosed device with no further actions in their part.
Referring to U.S. Pat. Application No. 2013/0072266 A1. This application relates to a new subject matter that is about to be included in this application, which is the integration of a wired earphone's audio cord into the neck lanyard. A neck strap lanyard was already mentioned in the original application, but is now being coupled with a wired earphone system to allow a more hand free usage of the case-straps system unit.
The applicant of application number 2013/0072266 A1 tried to claim a case combined with a lanyard's integrated earphone or headphone.
Again, as far as the new subject matter is concerned, the mentioned invention differs from the present invention in many ways.
One way application number 2013/0072266 A1 differs from the present invention is because, contrary to the present invention, the lanyard must be attached with the case all the time in order for the headphone system or the whole invention to work properly. In other words, the claimed case of the application 2013/0072266 A1 is useless without the lanyard, while the claimed lanyard is also useless without the claimed case.
My invention on the other hand allows the case-straps unit to work simultaneously or independently with or without the neck lanyard.
Application number 2013/0072266 A1 is also differs from my invention simply because a magnet system is to be used to join the case with a double ends lanyard's integrated headphone, while said lanyard of said current invention joined the case from a single or duo point of contact.
Finally, application number 2013/0072266 A1 doesn't meet the requirements of a prior art. Since the application No. 2013/0072266 A1 has a priority filing date dated after this invention's original filing date, the USPTO should not use or refer to it as a prior art when considering this application.
Other inventions include: U.S. Pat. No. 7,529,364 B2; U.S. Pat. No. 2007/0184781 A1;
These inventions differ from the present invention because they don't prevent the protected device from falling off the user's hand or from leaving the device behind, nor do they offer a better protection system than the current invention which includes hand strap, wrist strap, neck strap with integrated earphone, headphone and the like.
Other patents describing the closest subject matter provide for a number of more or less complicated features that fail to solve the problem in an efficient and economical way. None of these patents suggest the novel features of the present invention.